The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1887-01-25
MEXICAN INDIANS.
Statesmen, Soldiers, Jurists
and Poets in the LIST.
Life Am ;ng the Poems Who Work in the
Hacisndas and Ranch9s.

A City of Mexico letter to the Chicago
NeratI mentions some Of Mcxico's civil
lied Indians who lave achieved distinc-
ton. Among them are the late patriot,
President Juarcz; the present President,
General DiaZ; the Indian judge, Alti-
mirano, who is also Il poet and historian;
Ramcrcz, nm Indian scientist, and 9th
ers. Continuing, tho correspondent
says:
might mention n score Of "lcarncd'
Indians who would he an honor to any
country. For the present l desire only
to refer to ''thc short and simple annals
of the poor" to the obscure mountain-
GERS and poems, because the characters of
these lowly people are rarely known or
studied by tourists. or else when not de-
scribed as "stupid brutes," arc depicted
as "savages."
| admit that great numbers of the
"Populacho" or lower class of Indians in
the large cities arc idle, lazy, dissipated
and worthless, but the wonder is that
centuries Of Spanish oppression did not
brutalizc them still more. These people,
however, are very different from the pc
ons, who perform all the labor Of the ha-
cicndas and ranches and work on the rail
roads. Throughout the rural districts the
Indians are sober, industrious and cS-
tremely honest. In the ''pucblos" or
tribal settlements there arc some COM
munities which are models of virtue and
industry. Only twelve leagues from
this capital there is large Pueblo up in
The mountains which is governed by Il
Council of Twelve" formed by six aged
"wiSc-mcn" and six venerable matrons."
No cure or priest is allowed there, al
though about two centuries ago Jesuit
missionaries did manage to eff :ct and en-
trance and finally taught the Indians to
believe Ill the existence OF an olnnipo-
tent God, Il sclf-sacriticing Rcdcemcr and
n Great Mother" This belief they still
retain; nevertheless their religion is part
y that practiced By their Otomie ances-
tors and is also imbuad with some of the
mildcr Aztec supcratitioas.
In fratcrna, love and Christian charity
these mountaincers surpass us--lor cX-
ample, every Saturday cacl ~able-bodied
man, woman, grown boy anil girl leaves
his or her grounds or usual avocations
and all, under the direction of "thc
venerable fathers and mothers" devote
that entire day to the Gu turc of the
lands belonging to the widows and
young orphans, or else to laboring for
the benefit Of the old, sick, blind and
helpless members Of the community. In
order to attain the dignity Of ''patriarci"
n man must submit to "a Judgment" or
IL review Of all his past life, and will
only be elected if, upon strict investign-
ton, it is proved that during youth and
curly manhood he has been honest,
laborious, and truthful.
a matriarch must be II respectable
woman who has brought up a large family
properly and has never been known to
steal, or to have been addicted TO lying
or gossiping.
Through the Jcsuits these Ottomc
Indians long ago learned the existence
of Il great city, which replaced Tcno-
chtitlan, the far famed capital of the
Montczumas, and at times some am
bilious youth ycarns to seek fortune
there; or, perchance, some father of n
large family. fearing that his allotment
of land will not support all, is willing
to allow his eldest or second son to go
out into the world. When the hour of
departure has come the young wou!d-be
emigrant is accompanied to the brow Of
n certain hill md there the entire COM
munity axe an affectionate leave Of him.
When his own parents lave blessed him
the patriarchs and ma:r:archs bcstow
their beiedictions upon him, and then
ndmon;sh him ''to be sober, honest, in
dustrious and TRUTHFUL" and never to
commit any act which would he a dis
grace to his native Pueblo.
The poor, Ottomie cmigrants, being
utterly ignorant of the Spanish language,
usually fee! very unhappy here for
awhile, but they arc intelligent, and in
the course Of time gain a foothold which
they studiously maintain, for they are
honest and soon Inspire confidence.
Whenever these cx;les from home have
an opportunity to send back q message
to their Pueblo their greetings to the
venerable fathers md mothers arc al
ways as warm as those to their W